Safety appliance for mining machines



Dec; 30, 1 24.

M. P. HOLMES SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR MTNING MACHINES Filed June 11, 1921will Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

Mortars r. HOLMES, or cLARE aoN'r, NEW ini arsninn, Asst anon T:SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, a CORPORATION oF vIAssnoi-InsErTs.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR 1\ INII TG MACHINES.

.Applicationfiled June 11, 1921.

Z 0 all 10 ham it. may. .ccncem Be it known that I, .MoRRis P. HOLMES, acitizen of .the United States, residing at Claremont, in the county ofSullivan and State of New .Hampshire, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Safety Appliances for Mining Machines, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to safety appliances for bodily. movablemachines.

The invention has for its general object to provide means forautomatically stopping the operation of sucha. machine in the event(if-accidental movement thereof in ,a direction other than that which itis meant to travel. Another object ofthe invention is to providemechanism of the character referred to which will not only. stop theoperation of the machine butwill also .arrest the bodily movementthereof. A moreparticular object of the invention is to provide a safetyappliance for mining machines of the type employing a feed chain orcable for moving the machine bodily along the mine face andinstrumentalities for cutting a kerf in said face as the machine is somoved, said appliance being of such .a character that, should the feedchain or cablebreak while the machine isYtrav-elling up an incline,rearward movement of .said machine down said incline will be immediatelyarrested, and the operation of the cutting instrumentalities instantlystopped in order to prevent injury .to the machine or to the operator.

The foregoing and other .objects of invention, together with meanswhereby the same may be carried into effect, will best be understoodfromthe following description of one form or embodiment thereof illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a. miningmachine having the invention appliedthereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged verticalsection of therear of the machinetakensubstantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 .is an enlarged plan view of the rear end of the machine with thetop cover plate and cutter bar-removed.

Fig. 4 is a detail section on. the line l4 of Fig. 2-.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the clutch controlling mechanism.

' or ca n an a: G tt r b 1-.. carr es theusual cutter chain vided .6 inthe frame andebaiz or ra ie mounted at the oppositefen'd ofitlie andisadapted to cooperatew'ith afleiiible feeding member ofany suitable form,erein Serial No,, 476,756.

The min n maeh i e $1. .Q I i1t aW- ings 1s of the longwall type having"frame tter with cutter bits 4, and is pivotally. connected to one endof I the frame, and held -as desired either in opposite lateralpositions. .or in ,a longitudinal position by .aireniovable pin,y5cooperating with registering Ais uitable feed also rotat'ably member '7is shown as .a feed chains which pas s about suitably disposed guidesprockets its in awe llm vn QQ S QQ M h talar n ing member 7 is drivenfronija inotor' 10 within the casing .tliro igh usual coi nec ions,notshown. Themotor shaft 11 :carries a bevelpinion 12 which meshes. witha bevel gear 13 fast upona sleeve 1 l wh ch carries a :spur pinion l5meshing with a spi r gear 16 adapted to be connected through snitableclutch devices 17, withasp rochet 18 for actuating the cutter chainB.

Theparts thus farahferred to, are of a construction and arrangement wellknown invv the art and require no further description in .detail. In;the use of amachine of the type shown, the cutter bar2 isswung in.

under, themine face in any suitable manner, I

.as for instance by, connecting, the :feed, chain to projections 19 onthe banand then simultaneously, operating the :uttei;- chain 3. and

. .feedoperating member 7 The feedchain 8 is then extended along theface and anchored at its ends, .so that when. the feed operating member'7 and cutter chain 3 are again simultaneously operated, the machinewill move bodily along the feed chain and the face, and will occupy theposition illustrated in Fig. 1 during its traversing cutting operation.

As is. also usual in machines of this type, theclutch devices 17 I areoperatedby .arms 20 on a rock shaft 21 journaled in a bracket 22 securedat a suitable point toftlie main frame 1, said,clutchdevices comprisingpins carried by a ring 17 rotatahly cooperating with upstanding arms17*. connected with the arms 20 (Fig. 5). In accordance with the presentinvention, means areTQprQV ided the gear 16 and stop the operation ofthe cutter chain 3 should the machine for any reason, as for examplebreakage of the feed chain 8 when the machine is operating on a pitch orincline, start to move backwardly, said means preferably also operatingto arrest such bodily movement of the machine. Such means may obviouslyassume various forms, but in the embodiment of the invention illustratedthe following mechanism is provided.

The machine frame 1 is formed at a suitable point adjacent its rear end,and preferably at or near the top thereof, with a short, longitudinallydisposed, under-cut guideway 23 in which is mounted a slide 2 1. Pivotedat 25 to the slide 24 is a sprag 26 which extends upwardly andrearwardly from the rear end of the machine and is formed with a pointedend adapted to engage with the roof of a gallery in which the machine isoperated and to follow the surface of said roof as the machine is movedforwardly. The sprag 26 is preferably con nected with the slide 2 1 by asuitable yielding connection, herein in the form of a relatively lightcoiled spring 27 operatively connected between a collar 28 substantiallymidway between the ends of the sprag and a point at the top of anupright portion 29 of the slide 2 1. As a result of this springconnection, it will be observed that the sprag is normally held in theupwardly and rearwardly inclined position shown in Fig. 2. Secured atits rear end to the upright portion 29 of the slide 24 is a horizontalrod 30 guided for longitudinal movement in the machine frame andconnected by a link 81 .to an arm32 on the rock shaft 20, whereby, whensaid rod 30 is moved forwardly, said rock shaft will be operated todisconnect the clutch devices 17 and stop the operation of the cutterchain 3.

In order to start the cutter chain 3, the slide 24; is manually movedinto its rearmost position as shown in Fig. 2, thereby drawing the rod30 rearwardly and operating the rock shaft 21 to engage the clutchdevices 17. During the normal forward travel of the machine, the sprag26 will tend to occupy the position shown in Fig. 2, its upper endfollowing the roof surface, and the spring 27 holding the same inengagement with the roof, the slight rearward drag of said sprag tendingto maintain the slide 2% in its rearmost position and the cutter chainclutch engaged. Should, however, the machine start to move bodilyrearwardly for any reason, as, for example, upon breakage of the feedchain when the machine is travelling up an incline, such rearwardmovement will tend to drive the upper end of the sprag into the roof,thereby arresting such rearward movement. At the same time, the reactionof the lower or forward end of the sprag upon the slide 24 will movesaid slide forwardly in the guide-way 23, carrying with it the rod 30,such forward movement of the rod acting through the link 31 to rock theshaft 21 and operate the clutch devices 17 to disconnect the sprocket 18from the gear 16, thereby immediately stopping the operation of thecutter chain.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides meanswhereby both the operation and the bodily movement of a machine beautomatically arrested upon incipient m vement thereof in a directionopposite from that in which it is intended to move. It will be noted,however, that whenever it is desired to permit a free rearward movementof the machine, the sprag may be readily rendered inoperative bydisconnecting the spring 27, said sprag being preferably of such alength and so mounted upon the machine frame as to fall idly to the rearof the machine without engaging the bottom over which the machine ismoved.

ll hile T have herein specifically shown and described one embodimentwhich my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood thatthe particular construction and arrangement described and shown havebeen chosen for illustrative purposes merely, and that the invention maybe otherwise embodied and practiced without departing from its spirit orthe scope of the claims hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 2- l. Thecombination with a bodily movable machine, of means including a pivotedelement engageable with an extraneous abutment carried by said machinefor automatically discontinuing the operation thereof only upon bodilymovement thereof in one direction.

2. The combination with a bodily movable machine slidable on its ownbottom, of means including a yieldable member engageable with anextraneous abutment carried by said machine for automaticallydiscontinuing the operation thereof upon only bodily movement thereof inone direction.

3. The combination with a bodily movable machine having moving parts, ofmeans engageable with an extraneous abutment automatically operativeonly upon bodily rearward movement of said machine to stop the operationof said parts.

4. The combination with a bodily movable machine comprising an actuator,a driven member, and a clutch connecting said actuator and member, ofmeans carried by said machine and engageable with an extraneous abutmentfor automatically disengaging said clutch. only upon bodily rearwardmove ment of said machine.

5. The combination with a bodily movable machine, cutting mechanismcarried by said machine, and means'engageable with an extraneousabutment for automatically discontinuing the operation of said cuttingmechanism only upon bodily movement of said machine in one direction.

6. In a mining machine, the combination with a cutter chain, a motor,and driving connections including a clutch between said chain and motor,of means automatically operative upon bodily rearward movement of saidmachine to disengage said clutch and stop said cutter chain.

7. The combination with a bodily movable machine, of means carried bysaid machine and adapted to engage a fixed extraneous object adjacentthe path of'movement of said machine for automatically discontinuing theoperation of said machine only upon bodily movement thereof in onedirection.

S. In a mining machine, the combination with a motor, a cutter chain,and driving connections including a clutch between said motor and chain,of means carried by said machine for engaging a gallery roof and adaptedupon rearward movement of said machine to disengage said clutch.

9. The combination with a bodily movable machine, of a slide guided formovement on said machine, means pivotally mounted on said slide forengaging a fixed extraneous object adjacent the path of movement of saidmachine, and means operated by said slide for discontinuing theoperation of said machine.

10. The combination with a bodily movable machine comprising anactuator, moving parts operated thereby, and a clutch connecting saidactuator and parts, of a slide guid d for movement on said machine,means carried by said slide for engaging a fixed extraneous objectadjacent the path of movement of said machine, and means including apivoted shipping member operativelv connected with said slide foroperating said clutch.

11. The combination with a bodily movable machine slidable on a minebottom, of means constantly engageable with a mine roof carried by saidmachine for automatically arresting movement of said machine only in onedirection and substantially simultaneously discontinuing the operationthereof.

12. In a mining machine, the combination with a motor, a cutter chain,and driving connections including a clutch between said motorv andcutter chain, of a slide guided for movement on said machine, a spragpiv- ,oted to said slide, a rod connected to said slide, a rock shaftfor operating said clutch, an arm on said rock shaft, and a linkconnecting said rod and arm.

13. In a mining machine, feeding means, cutting means, and controllingmeans for said cutting means including a' pivoted sprag engageable witha gallery controlled by the failure of said feeding means to operate.

14. In a mining machine, feedingmeans, cutting means, andcontrollingmeans for said cutting means controlled only by a reverse movementcaused by failure of said feeding means.

15. Ina safety device for a miningmachine, feeding means, cuttingmechanism, actuating means therefor, and automatic means to disconnectsaid cutting mechanism from said actuating means only-upon failure ofsaid feeding means to operate.

16. In a mining machine, feeding mechanism, cutting mechanism, drivingmeans therefor, and automatic means adapted to en age a stationaryabutment and controlled only by the failure of said feeding mechanism tooperate to disconnect said cutting mechanism from said driving means.

17. In a mining machine, feeding mechanism, cutting mechanism, drivingmeans therefor, and means controlled by the failure of the feedingmechanism to operate and adapted to engage a mine roof and automatically disconnect said cutting mechanism from said driving means.

18. In combination. with a mining machine, feeding means therefor,cutting mechanism, driving means therefor, a clutch interposed betweensaid driving means and said cutting mechanism, and automatic meanscontrolled by the failure of said feeding means to operate and-operatingto disconnect said clutch.

19. In a mining machine, flexible feeding means, cutting means, drivingmeans therefor, and automatic means carried by the machine andengageable with a mine roof operative upon failure of said feeding meansto disconnect the cutting means from the driving means.

20. In a mining machine adapted to slide upon a mine bottom, thecombination with a cutter chain, a motor, driving connections includinga clutch between said cutter chain and motor, and means automaticallyoperative upon bodily rearward movement of said machine to disengagesaid clutch to stop said cutter chain.

21. The combination with a machine having bodily movement in a certaindirection during operation, of means carried by said machine forautomatically discontinuing operation thereof operative only uponmovement of said machine in an opposite direction at any point of saidmachine movement during operation.

22. The combination with a machine hav ing bodily movement in a certaindirection during operation comprising an actuator, a. driven member, anda clutch connecting said actuator and member, of means carried by saidmachine for automatically discontinuing operation thereof operative onlyupon movement of said machine in an oppositedirection at any point ofsaid machine movement during operation for automatically disengagingsaid clutch.

2-3. The combination with a machine having bodily movement in a certaindirection during operation, of means carried by said machine forautomatically discontinuing the operation thereof only upon apredetermined movement in an opposite direction at any point of saidmachine movement during, op eration, said predetermined movement beingof less magnitude than the distance of ma chine movement duringoperation.

2%. The combination with a machine bodily movable in a certain directionduring operation, of means carried by said machine for automaticallydiscontinuing the operation thereof, said means receiving its initialmovement from said machine only in an opposite direction at any point ofsaid machine movement during operation.

25. In combination, a mining machine, feeding means therefor including aflexible member, cutting mechanism, driving means therefor, andautomatic means controlled by the failure of said flexible feedingmember and operating to disconnect said cutting mechanism from saiddriving means.

26. In a mining machine adapted to slide on its own bottom on the minebottom relative to a flexible feeding member during; operation, meansfor automatically discontinuing the operation thereof when said flexiblefeeding member fails to operate.

21 The combination with a machine bodily movable Within certain limitsduring operation, of means carried by said machine for automaticallydiscontinuing the opera- .tion thereof, said. means being only operativeupon movement of said machine in a reverse direction at any pointbetween its limits of n'iovement.

28. The combination with a bodily movable machine provided with feedingand cutting mechanism and driving means therefor, of means automaticallyoperative upon movement of said machine in one direction fordiscontinuing operation thereof while said driving means constantlyoperates.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MORRIS P. HOLMES.

